GAD diagnosis

[Lici]

Hi, first time posting, hopefully someone can help.

So I went to a new doctor the other day (apparently he's registered with beyond blue) and he diagnosed me with GAD. The thing is I'm a bit dubious about this diagnosis as I don't excessively worry about things and have a previous diagnosis of PTSD which would fit most of my symptoms. His diagnosis consisted of asking me a few questions while I was there to see him for a shoulder issue.

I'm wondering if GAD can be diagnosed without the excessive worry and anxiety? The information that I can find on the DSM V diagnostic criteria states that the patient must have the excessive worry. The doctor has given me medication for treatment and I'm a bit nervous about starting a drug that's going to make me gain weight and be tied all the time while I'm at university (studying psychology funnily enough) and have spent a few years learning how to finally deal with things without medication. Should I ask to see a psychiatrist to get a definitive diagnosis before starting treatment? I'm really unsure what to do at the moment as I feel like the clinical psychologists and psychiatrists would have diagnosed me in the past if I had GAD.

Thanks for reading

[startingnew]

hey Lici

im glad youve got an appt, its really sucky to be told they cant do much more than what theyve already helped with. can you get injections for the pain your in if it gets too bad?

the unexpected trigger can definently send us flying into pain, emotional and other things too. i hope you going abit better now. sometimes triggers can have lasting effects for a few days.

good work on getting your assignments done and its great to hear you hang out with friends regularly too.

hope todays been a good one for you 🙂

[Lici]

Hey startingnew 😊,

today was ok, had uni so was mostly mentally draining as I had to sit through both psych and my gothic English topic and I find switching like that draining.

Yesterday, however, was horrible. I spent the day having flashbacks and crying etc. I just threw myself into my uni work to get it under control. Sometimes I wonder if I actually dealt with it all properly when I was seeing the psychiatrist etc or if I just dealt with the agoraphobia and locked the rest away. Then I wonder if it really matters in the end, as long as I'm able to leave my house and live life then let the emotions stay buried. Then I wonder if that's what's caused the GAD and around and round the thoughts go.

I've had shots in my shoulders in the past so if it gets too bad then I'm sure the doc will do more. I get the impression that he thinks it's all anxiety related so would be somewhat reluctant to refer me to get more shots. We'll see.

I hope today was a bit better for you as well 🙂

[Chloe_M]

Hi Lici

shots as in needles?

i can't do needles!

aww hugs xx I'm sorry yesterday was terrible 😞

hope you get a good nights sleep and wake up feeling fresh and happy tomorrow morning.

im scared I have a science test tomorrow 😬😬 chemistry is not my strong point because it involves things like balancing equations (which is year 11 chem) and it's all maths and I SUCK AT MATHS I have maths anxiety lol

fingers crossed for tomorrow ahaha

😊

[startingnew]

Hi Lici,

im sorry i havent been around to much, im hoping today is a better day for you. the other day sounds horrible, i experience flashbacks and things too and they are awful. hugs xox

it can be a really tricky balance between do i open up and let it flood out and maybe itll pass or is it better to shove it all down (usually comes back though in full force) remember the helplines are there too if you need xox

[Lici]

Hi Chloe and startingnew,

Chloe: yes shots as in cortisone injections. They use a ultrasound machine to pinpoint the inflamed bursa and then inject it right into the inflamed area. To say it hurts is an understatement and I've experienced some full on pain in my life lol

I feel ok now thanks xx I don't have to worry about if I'll get a good night's sleep anymore lol my medication makes sure of it!

I'm sure you'll ace your test! You're smart and capable and I'm sure that your maths anxiety will mean you study harder for it 😊 let me know how it goes!

Startingnew: don't be sorry for not being around much, I fully understand. Flashbacks and triggers are so hard to deal with. A certain hair colour can trigger me as long as it's the right length. It's hard to prepare for because I'll never know when it's going to happen. I'm ok now though. Hugs

The emotions bit gets me thinking a lot. For me, it comes from childhood. Showing emotion was always met with punishment. If I cried after, then he punished me more... if I complained about doing my brother's chores, then I got punished... if I was proud of grades on a report card, I got a reply that consisted of "why wasn't these grades higher?" Love and affection wasn't there, it was negativity and punishment so shoving emotions down was a survival strategy I guess that's carried on to adulthood. Now I tend to run on a default of numb and internalise emotions more than show them. While I could go through therapy and try to work through things to bring the emotions to the surface and deal with them, I wonder if at my age if it would do more harm than good if you know what I mean? It would be a long complicated process and would be potentially disruptive to the rest of my life so I'm inclined to think it's not worth the hassle.

I don't usually need the helplines as I'm usually ok within a couple of days now, but I appreciate you mentioning them xx

Lici

[Chloe_M]

Hi Lici,
They sound terrible! I hate hate hate needles so much!
Science test was actually easier than I expected. The experiment we had to perform was pretty straightforward, however some of the theory questions stumped me so I guessed. I think I did better than I expected before doing the test.
Hugs xo
Chloe

[Lici]

Hey Chloe,

Yeah I hate needles too! I had to have heaps of blood tests when I was around your age and it kind of left me hating needles for the rest of my life lol

I'm glad your test was easier than you expected it to be! I usually have anxiety before exams and think that they'll be super hard etc and then think "well that was suspiciously easy" after 😂 I always seem to do well going by my overall grades (You don't get your exam marks back at uni) so hopefully it will be the same for you!

Hugs xo

Lici

[Chloe_M]

WHAT

Sorry I don't think I'll be able to deal with not getting my marks back when I go to uni!!

Haha we had to get the 3-part HIV vaccine and the chicken pox and the tetanus shot in year 7 😬 Luckily I had already had the chicken pox one so I only had to get 2.

im going on a science excursion tomorrow to the Australian Museum, it will be fun but I'm scared because I don't like trains of crowds. Last week we went to the Opera House (I'm in Sydney) I had a panic attack because of the crowds 😞 fingers crossed that I can cope, there's a lot less of us going, not the whole grade just the top 2 science classes.

Hugs

Chloe 😇🤗

[Lici]

Hey Chloe,

You get your overall grade and usually you can ask the topic coordinator for your exam mark, but most people don't bother. For psychology, you don't get your exam paper back because they use the same exam or a rotation of exams each year so it would be easy for people to cheat if they gave it back. As long as I get a credit or distinction overall then I don't really want to know what my exam grade was lol I asked in my first year and I had failed the exam and just passed another (but got distinctions overall) and it really shot my confidence for exams since!

Do you have someone that you can sit next to that you could possibly tell about your panic attacks so they can help you? Maybe even if they just talk to you to keep you occupied? Or you could try and make a game out of the trip. Sometimes when I'm on a train I like to come up with fictional backstories for the people that I see. I make up their personalities and what job they have etc. It passes the time really quickly (and is a great exercise for writing stories!)

I hope you get through your excursion ok xo

🤗 Lici

[Chloe_M]

Hi

The excursion was okay, I was kinda angry for a good solid hours because my ex was being an idiot again. Being disrespectful and flirting with everyone and telling me to f off etc. The usual except it was worse today. Ha oh well. I'm slowly trying to become not-friends with him, because I really don't like him at all anymore.

I had no panic attacks (YAY) and the day was fun. Me and some of the guys ran through all the exhibitions and then we ditched one of them then we ditched another haha. I didn't like all the dead things though 😞

How was your day?

x Chloe